Miran
Mirans (Homo mirans) are a sapient humanoid species native to a planet in the Beta Quadrant that bear an uncanny physical and biological resemblance to Humans. Two prominent theories of this phenomenon are that the Mirans are an example of parallel evolution, owing to Hodgkin's Theory of Parallel Planetary Development, or that the world was created by the Preservers as part of their humanoid seeding experiments. History Officially a Federation protected race, under the auspices of the Vulcan High Command, the Mirans are the first non-Vulcans members of the Confederacy of Vulcan since the founding of the United Federation of Planets. , a typical Miran male.]] The evolution of the Miran homeworld appears to have followed that of Earth's exactly, from time and conditions of inception to the development of multi-cell organisms which later evolved into a form of mammalian life that resembled a hairless ape and stood upright. Continental shifts occurred on this world as with Earth and nations such as Soviet Union and United States of America took form. In fact, specific Earth historical figures such as Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and Joseph Strauss must have also existed on the Miran homeworld as the Statue of Liberty and Golden Gate Bridge, among other Earth architectural icons, are present. During the 1960's, a series of genetic experiments into the application of viruses to expanding on the human lifespan were undertaken under by various governments. In the United States, this program was known as the Life Prolongation Project. This culminated in 1965 with the accidental release of one such viral pathogen, which became a global epidemic. In the bodies of children the virus functioned as intended, regulating their metabolism in such a way that they began to age at a fraction of the human norm - roughly 30 days for every 100 years. However, in sexually mature organisms the presence of chemical hormones caused the virus to mutate. Instead of slowing an individuals metabolism, it greatly increased it. This caused intense pain, physical mutation, severe lesions (typically blue in color), madness, and eventual death. The mutated form of the virus was aggressive enough that it typically ran its course in a matter of weeks. In 2258, Spock (Prime-Spock) led the USS Reliant to this world in search for a new home for the Vulcan race. As he had originally discovered this world in 2266, and knew of the cure developed by Doctor Leonard McCoy in his time, Spock chose Miri's homeworld as the best place for the Vulcan's to create a new home. As he put it, the Mirans had a planet and no teachers, and the Vulcans had a lot of patience. With the arrival of the Vulcans and the creation of what would later become the Federation Children's Hospital, the surviving Miran children were gathered up, tutored, and educated by the Vulcan people who also rebuilt the barren cities of the Miran world. Today, the Mirans continue to exist with little change since 1965. Using Montessori-type educational techniques, each Miran is educated at the level to which they are capable of learning. Though service in Starfleet is curtailed by Federation law as restricted to non-combat support roles, some do serve the Federation Starfleet. Others serve in the Vulcan High Command, with one sharing some governmental authority as the Junior Administrator of Miri's Planet. And since 2350, Ms. Patty Duke has been the junior representative for New Vulcan and the only Miran on the Federation Council. Biology Bilaterally symmetrical bipedal primates, Mirans are a warm-blooded humanoid species with an estimated lifespan of approximately 80,000 years, although subject to injury and disease. They evolved from the australopithecines. Several sentient species of Miran existed, all of the genus [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_(genus) homo]. Several of these species coexisted for some time until Homo floresiensis became extinct approximately 12,000 years ago, leaving only homo miran, the present species of Miran. While they do not possess any dominant or noticeable bony ridges around their face or on their bodies as was common to many races throughout space, they do possess a great deal of phenotypic diversity within their species. Skin color, eye color, blood type, facial structures, hair color and hair type vary considerably between individuals and make nearly every single Miran distinct in appearance from the next, though in this regard they are indistinguishable from Humans, Alpha Centaurians, or similar humanoid species. They have two sexes, as is common to many humanoid species. Due to their unique physiology, at present the Miran race has no means of reproducing and likely will not for several hundred more years. Mirans have iron-based hemoglobin in their blood. Each individual's blood had one of eight types depending on the presence or absence of three antigens called A, B, and Rh. The most common blood types among them were O+ and A+. As their RNA was extensively re-written by the introduction of the Life Prolongation Virus, all Miran blood contains a unique viral pathology that makes it unsuited for donation to other humanoids. However, they are able to receive blood from other humanoids. Culture Miran culture tends to be as spontaneous and diverse as the children themselves are. Reduced from a global population of diverse people to a mere hundred of survivors, entire ethnic groups are now absent from Miri's Planet. Though the influences of Vulcan philosophy and education can be seen reflected in some of the children, most retain the same happy, emotional, and vibrant personalities typical of human children. As physiological juveniles, Mirans have all of the same requirements of human children for healthy development. This includes time devoted to play, an average of 9-10 hours of sleep per night, and a high degree of physical and intellectual stimulation. Each Miran need be assessed individually, as some may be developmentally in the stages of Early, Middle, or Late Childhood. Due to the onset of the mutated form of the virus at puberty, it is rare for a Miran to be an adolescent teenager but some are known to have survived. Religion and Spirituality Music Rock'n'Roll from the 1950's and 1960's, such as Elvis or the Beatles. Classical vocalists such as Ella Fitzgerald and Bobby Darin, or jazz ensembles such as the Glenn Miller Band. Holidays and Festivals *Federation Day *Vulcan Day (5 March) Food and Beverages *Root Beer (also Root Beer Float) *Sloppy Joes *Pizza *Spaghetti & Meatballs People *List of Mirans Other Information * The Mirans referred to themselves as the Onlies prior to First Contact with the Vulcans, owing to their being the only ones left. Sources *Miran (Only) @ Memory Alpha *Miran (Only) @ Memory Beta Category:Species Category:Mirans Category:United Federation of Planets